Yes We Can

I will vote for Obama if I get the chance. In Ohio, we do not usually get much of a say in the primaries. If you are following the presidential race (as all Americans SHOULD), and you haven't had the chance to hear this man speak, you are really missing out. I know that being a good public speaker isn't everything, but it can move people and inspire people and maybe just take us all up a notch or so.

No one will ever believe me, but I said what Caroline said before Caroline said it. From an article by the American Press:

"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them," Caroline Kennedy wrote in op-ed posted Saturday on the Web site for The New York Times. "But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president -- not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans." ... Kennedy wrote that she wants a president "who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift up our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved."

Happy (Belated) Birthday Alison!

Happy Belated Birthday to another BFF from the way back when! Alison, Jen, and I are notoriously belated when it comes to birthday wishes. It’s our norm, so it’s ok. My birthday is in November and I typically receive a present from Jen in December or February (depending on whether we get together for Christmas, New Years, or Valentine’s Day). This year, Jen bought me these witch’s feet. (It's a planter/vase.)

But I digress. This post is supposed to be about Alison. One of the best things about Al is that we laugh at the same things in movies, often when no one else sees the humor. When we were younger, we used to go to the movie theater and this laughing at the “wrong” moment would cause one of us to say, “Why isn’t anyone else laughing? What is wrong with these people?” It’s worse now that we are grown up. If Stan and I go to a movie and this phenomenon occurs, I’m the ONLY one laughing. It is at these times that I always think of Alison.

If you’ve noticed a big slow down over at Aliblog, all you have to do is call Alison and you’ll know why. The children have outnumbered the parents. It is quite a lovely situation. Last week, our phone call conversation lasted about 5 minutes. She had to go when someone kicked someone in the head. Oh, the joys of motherhood!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful mom of three, an inspirational blogger, and a genuine friend!

A Request for Recipes

Adopting a baby costs more than what I make in a year. We've never spent so much money on something, except for the purchase of our home. In an effort to raise some funds, I'm putting together a cookbook, but I need your help! Please email me one or two of your all-time favorite recipes. I want the best-o-the-best. I hope to have the cookbooks ready by Easter time. If you think you could sell a few copies to friends or co-workers, let me know so that I have an idea of how many we should assemble. You can contact me at msolinger@hotmail.com. If you want to contribute a recipe, please send it within the next week or two. Thank you in advance for your help.

Ni Hao, Kai-lan!

If you have kids in the cartoon-watching age group, here's one that sounds pretty cool. It's premiering on Nick Jr. You can read more about it here. The name of the show is "Ni Hao, Kai-lan." Ni hao means hello in Chinese. The web page on Nick Jr. says that the show is a "play-along, think-along series" infused with Chinese language and culture. "Ni Hao, Kai-lan reinforces the idea that being bicultural and bilingual is being American." The premier airs Thursday February 7 at 11:00 a.m.

Dear CCAA, Why Are You So Slow?

First -- EMAIL ME PLEASE -- I want to invite you to my other blog if I haven't already done so. See the post below this one.

Now, for today's news ... there is quite a ruckus going on over at Rumor Queen. Her post today states that the JCICS (Joint Council on International Children's Services) is preparing a letter of concern to be issued to the CCAA, mainly asking why the wait for China adoption has become so slow-moving.

RQ's post doesn't really sound so interesting, but if you read the comments, you can get a pretty good idea of how intense the China program's adoption community is. Some waiting parents have received a letter from their agency (not ours) saying that China anticipates completing the February 2006 LIDs during the year 2008. They are currently working on December 2005 LIDs. This is downright pathetic and makes everyone feel sick to their stomach. I can't even imagine how it must feel to have an LID in March 2006 and realize that if I had submitted my dossier just four months earlier, I would have my child a whole YEAR sooner.

This is probably totally confusing to everyone except people like me who are waiting. I have tried to explain LIDs in prior posts. I really don't want to get too windy here, but an LID is the date that China "(L)ogged (I)n your (D)ossier" to their system. Our LID is 9-28-07. Your LID tells you where you are in line with all the other waiting parents.

With this kind of snail's pace, The China program is in jeopardy. If agencies cannot continue to receive applicants, they will be unable to collect the revenue needed to keep their offices running. Additionally, the incredible slow-down leads some parents to speculate whether China might be in the initial stages of shutting down its own program.

I wonder if China may decide it actually needs its little girls. Some calculations project that, in a few short years, China will have a female deficit of 50 million "missing" girls. This means that, if nature were allowed to take its course, 50 million more girls would be alive and well in China than what is projected. (The Nazis murdered 6 million Jews. This is 50 million baby girls being aborted, abandoned, or hidden.) This gendercide will have dire consequences for China's society, the most obvious effect being a shortage of wives for the men. Instead of giving these little baby girls to loving families in America, why not save them (and save face) for a rainy day? I am totally speculating this all on my own, but I do believe it's a legitimate concern.

In any case, we're staying right where we are. There is no harm done in waiting this out a little longer. It is certainly a possibility that China will speed up its program. We're in it for the long haul!

(The picture above is obviously Glinda the Good Witch of the North, but some of us OU friends call her the Dancing Queen. I imagine her when I think of what the Rumor Queen must look like.)

Email Me

I'm starting another blog, for invited guests only. I'll keep this one too, but I won't post here as often as I have been. If you know me personally and you haven't already received an invitation, please send me an email so that I can send you an invite to the secret, members-only blog.

For reasons I cannot discuss, only people I know can be invited to the new blog. So, even if you only see me once a year (all you Mansfield friends), or I haven't seen you in years, or whatever, please send me an email so that I can send you an invite.

My email address is msolinger@hotmail.com.